- Homecare service
APT Care Central Bedfordshire & Bedford
Assessment report published 14 July 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 20 May to 17 June 2026
APT Care Central Bedfordshire & Bedford is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to adults living in their own homes, to support them to live as independently as possible. CQC only inspects services where people receive the regulated activity of personal care. At the time of this assessment, 195 people were receiving support with personal care. The service supports adults with a wide range of needs, including people living with dementia, physical disabilities, mental health needs and sensory impairments.
We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed autistic people and people with a learning disability respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. At the time of this assessment, the service was not supporting any autistic people or people with a learning disability, but the provider had regard to ‘Right support, right care, right culture’.
We carried out this assessment to check whether improvements had been made following our previous assessment. The last assessment was carried out in June 2023, when the service was rated Requires Improvement overall and was in breach of regulations relating to risk management, medicines management, safeguarding, staffing and governance.
Improvements were found at this assessment, and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations. People, staff and professionals were generally positive about the quality of care provided. Staff worked with families and partner organisations to support people's health, well-being and independence, including supporting people to return home safely following periods of hospital care.
Governance and oversight arrangements had strengthened. Audits, quality assurance processes and digital care records were used to monitor quality and support improvement. Leaders promoted an open culture and demonstrated a commitment to learning, improvement and partnership working. The provider had recently strengthened leadership arrangements through the appointment of an experienced registered manager, and staff and professionals were positive about the support provided by leaders.
People's experience of this service
People's experiences of the service were generally positive. People and relatives told us staff were kind, caring and supportive. Many described positive relationships with regular carers who understood their needs, preferences and routines. People said staff treated them with dignity and respect and supported them to maintain their independence wherever possible.
People felt listened to and involved in decisions about their care. One person told us, “They always listen and take on board what I actually need.” Another said, “I am completely involved in my care planning.” People described care that was tailored to their individual circumstances and told us staff worked with them to achieve positive outcomes.
People also spoke positively about the impact care had on their well-being. One person told us, “I feel safe and protected.” Others described feeling reassured by the support they received and told us staff responded appropriately when their needs changed.
Many people were positive about communication with care staff and the office and said concerns were addressed when raised. However, some people reported concerns relating to communication, continuity of care, visit timings and invoicing. People's experiences were therefore not always consistent. Despite this, most feedback reflected confidence in the service and the support provided by staff.